Manchester United are reportedly one among three clubs keeping an eye on the situation of Uruguayan midfielder Nicolas de La Cruz at River Plate.
According to a report from Spanish publication Fichajes, Manchester United are interested in River Plate midfielder Nicolas De La Cruz who could be sold by South American giants River Plate owing to his contract situation.
De La Cruz started out at the youth academy of Uruguayan club Liverpool Montevideo and made the switch to River Plate in 2017. Since then, the attacking midfielder has grown into a key player for the Argentine giants, racking up 130 appearances, in which he has scored 23 goals and setting up 29 more.
De La Cruz’s current contract with River Plate runs out in December next year. With talks over a new deal not progressing well, the club may be forced into cashing in on him at the earliest possible as his value will continue to decrease the closer he gets to the expiry of his deal.
This situation has seemingly put several clubs in Europe on high alert, with Manchester United also said to be in the mix. The Red Devils appear to be more than well-stocked in the midfield and the attackind midfield department currently. Indeed, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Scott McTominay, Fred, Donny van de Beek, as options at his disposal currently.
However, it must be noted that Pogba is in the final year of his contract with the 20-time English champions and is yet to sign an extension and continues to be linked with an exit from Old Trafford. Van de Beek, meanwhile, has found it hard to break into the starting XI under Solskjaer and could be offloaded as well, with Inter Milan showing an interest in securing his services.
Given the situation, Manchester United are keeping their eyes out on a potential replacement for Pogba in the transfer market. Jude Bellingham remains a favoured target for the Red Devils, but as per the aforementioned report, the club are also keeping a close watch on De La Cruz.
The 24-year-old can essay multiple roles in the middle of the park, whether playing as a central midfielder or as a No. 10, while he can also play out wide on the flanks, something that Pogba has been asked to do of late by manager Solskjaer of late. In the ongoing season, De La Cruz has scored five goals and set up four more in 25 games, showing that he can be a source of goals form the middle.
Apart from United though, Sevilla and Atletico Madrid are also said to be interested in De La Cruz and it remains to be seen if Real Madrid’s interest in the Uruguayan materialises to a formal approach.